The Waning Moon
by DarkArticle
Summary: It's Luna's 4th year at Hogwarts. Umbridge's new rules and rumours of You-Know-Who's return are all anyone can talk about. But Luna is fighting her own demons after years of bullying and torment finally get to her she finds a new part of herself, one that's cold and frightening. Rated M for mature content: eating disorders, self injury and sexual content. Eventual Draco/Luna
1. Chapter 1

AN: Hi guys, sorry I totally bailed on Fires of Spring, it just wasn't inspiring me, I might rewrite it after I've finished with this!

Luna is struggling in her 4th of Hogwarts and the most unlikely of friendships form. Eventual Draco/Luna (maybe)

*Trigger warning throughout as this fic includes eating disorders, self harm and bullying

**I know Evanna Lynch herself struggled with an eating disorder and this has no relevance to her personal struggles nor is it mocking / glorifying eating disorders in general. This is a subject that is close to home for myself and a lot of people on this site and is no way meant to offend anyone.

***I do not own the wonderful Harry Potter franchinse (all hail queen Jo) this is just my ramblings that I hope you all enjoy! R&R please!

"I see them too. You're just as sane as I am."

And that's when they first met, in the only carriage left. The white blonde doe eyed girl reading that magazine upside down as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

"This is Loony- Luna Lovegood."

Luna was used to the cruelness of people, but always saw the good in them. She had always been Loony, the taunts relayed in her head as the girls from her dormitory wrote it on her forehead in permanent ink, as they slapped and kicked her and pushed her down the stairs, as they carved into her possessions just as the word had been carved into her heart, a reminder that she will always be Loony Lovegood. The strange girl, not even a girl, a peculiar creature. A peculiar creature who'd been bullied ever since she set foot in the castle. A peculiar creature who'd put on a brave face and blame the nargles for her missing shoes when she knew who it really was. A peculiar creature who'd finally let actions and words that speak as loud as each other get to her, they trapped her free spirit, they sucked it out of her, all that remains is a hollow girl.

Luna had always loved the start of year feast, the hearty food to warm the soul and the masses of puddings that never failed to put a smile on her face. But this year she dared not touch a single morsel, a plate of steamed vegetables would suffice. She allowed herself one profiterole because they never had them at home, and another because they were her favourite, and another because she hadn't had one in the longest time. After profiterole number 21 she stopped, Luna was full to the brim and feeling slightly nauseous, not because of the sickly sweetness of the desert but the fact she had eaten so much.

Luna ended dinner by exiting halfway through Dumbledore's speech.

"I'm tired, it's been a long day." She exclaimed.

The surrounding Ravenclaws nodded half heartedly, not really interested in her, or the speech, allowing Luna to slip off almost unnoticed. And the people who did notice didn't care, just shrugged and thought "There goes Loony Lovegood off to do another strange thing."

They were right in a sense, Loony Lovegood was off to do another strange thing, she was going to make herself throw up, to purge her body of the calories consumed, to purge her mind of worry that another pound shall be gained. She took a seat on the cold slabbed bathroom floor next to her favourite stall (it was near the end of the row of cubicles, and people rarely used it), stuck her fingers down her throat and heaved. Nothing. She tried again, and again, and again until finally she brought up her dinner. The acid burned her throat and the smell made her feel ill. Luna wiped her mouth with a square of tissue before flushing the evidence away. She took a drink from the water fountain to remove the taste of half digested food and acrid saliva. She washed her hands with half a bottle of soap to try and remove the distinct smell of vomit but the smell lingered on her skin. Like when you handle garlic and you still get a waft of it every now and then for the next few days.

By the time she had reached the Ravenclaw common room she had realised she didn't know the password, as she had not stuck around to find it out from a prefect. She took a seat on a nearby step and waited for everyone to come back from dinner. She stared at her watch, 5 minutes felt like an hour and the half an hour Luna had waited for the Ravenclaws to come back felt like an eternity. The first years stormed in, claiming the best beds and chattering loudly to their new friends. The memories of Luna's first day were similar, she couldn't wait for the years that lay ahead.

She saw a first year talking to an older girl, whom she could only assume was her sister because the two looked so alike.

"That's Loony Lovegood." whispered the older girl "She's mental."

The first year stared at Luna and giggled slightly as Luna tripped over her own feet, as if she were trying to escape the stare.

While the hoards of Ravenclaws remained in the common room gossiping about what happened over the summer and murmurs of You-Know-Who's apparent return Luna was glad to be in her bed. She put on her pyjamas (an oversized tie-dye shirt that had been her mothers many years ago) and stroked the carvings on the polished oak pillar. The familiar four posts that she'd slept in every year and the deep blue curtains surrounded her, to Luna they were an unbreakable wall, within the curtains she was safe and nothing could hurt her. She was also very glad her two way silencing charm was still in place, she can't hear the outside chatter and they can't hear her crying herself to sleep. She put her thumb in her mouth (not a common habit for a 14 year old but it was comforting nonetheless) and sobbed quietly into her pillow until she drifted off into deep sleep. She'd always been a very deep sleeper, this was taken advantage of by her room mates who managed to unlock her trunk and steal her things. When she awoke in the morning she was left with her uniform, some of her non uniform home clothes, 10 socks that didn't match, 1 shoe, none of her school books and a smashed inkwell. Luna frowned and let out a small sigh, she could hear some of the girls sniggering behind her.

"Why me?" She thought to herself. "Now I have to ask someone if I can borrow some their books." She sighed again. Luna hated being a burden but knew her friends would be more than willing to sort her out. Out of pity most likely.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Chapter 2 is go! Chapter 3 might not be done for a while as I'm in a performance which has rehearsals after school everyday this week, plus there's a dress rehearsal all day Saturday so I will try and write bits here and there but it might be a short chapter! As usual please rate and review, it means a lot to me!

Breakfast time. Luna was dreading it. But managed to escape eating by going over to the Gryffindor table and asking Neville to lend her some old books. She felt bad taking advantage of his kind nature, but it was rather urgent.

"Neville I'm ever so sorry to bother you but it appears all of my school books have disappeared, I suspect nargles are behind it."

He smiled at her. "Of course Luna, I left all my old books here last year, I'd wondered why my remberall had gone red. I'll run up and get them after I've finished my breakfast."

"Thank you ever so much Neville." She hugged him, although the boy was slightly taken aback by this sudden movement, and proceeded to blush a shade of tomato red.

Luna sat with the Gryffindors for a while, and had two cups of tea while having a conversation with Harry about Umbridge.

"For such a horrible woman she seems to enjoy kittens quite a lot. I always thought kittens were for nice people. You don't see Voldemort with a kitten."

Harry smiled at Luna, her ramblings never failed to cheer him up.

"I think his snake would probably eat it Luna."

Luna took this into consideration. "I suppose."

Professor McMonagall signaled everybody to head off to their first lessons. Almost every first year opened maps and prefects herded them, leading them through the labyrinth of corridors that is Hogwarts. Luna had double potions first, potions was not her favourite subject, she was good at it and always got good marks if she put her mind to it (she was in Ravenclaw for a reason) but Professor Snape made her very anxious. While she was sure he was a perfectly charming man there was something about him. The way he looked at Luna like he knew everything about her made her feel very uncomfortable.

Potions went by fairly fast, they were creating antidotes to common poisons and before Luna knew it the lesson was coming to an end. Luna had a free lesson which she spent in the library, she took a detour to the kitchen to get a flask of tea. She had no homework to do because it was the first day of school, so she settled on a book about healing plants to pass the time. Some 5th years were also in the library, study was important to them as they would sitting their O. this year. As Luna sipped at her tea she looked intently Draco Malfoy, who seemed incredibly distant amongst his friends, who were talking about Quidditch tryouts. Draco caught Luna's gaze and gave her a brooding look, but not one to be put off Luna smiled at him, the corner of his mouth twitched, then his eyes darted back to his book. Luna smiled at everybody, whether they disliked her or not, it was great comfort when people smiled back, it felt like she had friends.

She finished her book which was actually very useful and made a note to experiment with the plants in the near future. The librarian announced that lunch was now being served. She frowned slightly amd proceeded to take the long walk from the library to the Great Hall. Luna entered the room and took a seat at the Ravenclaw table. She took some sandwiches off a plate in the center of the table and a few bits a fruit. In an hour she'd managed to eat a banana, an apple, some grapes, a satsuma, half a digestive biscuit (this was an accident, the other half dropped off in her tea) and had made a pitiful attempt at a cheese roll.

It was funny to her. She was surrounded by people, but she had never felt more alone. The voices of people talking past her, inside jokes that she was always outside of, a snide comment here and there about so and so's new haircut. People were fully emerged in a constant stream of chatter, but Luna had not even put a toe in to test the water.


	3. Chapter 3

**I AM SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING THIS STORY IN SO LONG. I've had a lot of school work and I'd forgotten about this fic, however I am back up writing now, I will continue with this story as well as some one-shots here and there, I hope you are all well, thank you for being patient with me! xx

Luna wiped vomit from the corner of her mouth and flushed the toilet. She then gargled some water and placed a mint on her tongue, sucking it hard as she walked down the corridor deep in thought. Her soft white hands traced along the wall as she stepped. She closed her eyes, the winding paths of Hogwarts were familiar to Luna, walking around with her eyes closed was what she did. Although having your eyes shut means that you cannot see other things, like Draco Malfoy pacing in the opposite direction to Luna.

Crash.

There was a head on collision, Draco was walking so fast he actually knocked Luna over, who was now sprawled out over the cold flagstone. Instictively Draco offered her a hand to help her up (but not before checking there was no one around), as Luna raised her arm her sleeve fell a few inches, revealing an array of scratches and scars, some raging red against her ivory skin, others had faded to whites and purples. Luna gulped as Draco studied her arm, taken slightly aback by it all.

"I'm sorry." Luna said as she got up, nursing her right knee as it had taken most of the impact from her fall.

Draco remained silent, and just studied her. He could tell there was something wrong, the way her clothes hung off her and the way her socks fell down and the way her eyes that were once enticing were now hollowing.

"I'm sorry." Luna said again. "I really am, I wasn't looking where I was going, it was really all my fau-."

"Don't apologise." Draco interrupted. He took once last look at her and walked away.

Luna stood for a while, thoroughly confused, Draco Malfoy had actually been somewhat civil towards Luna, or anyone not in Slytherin for that matter. She was concerned that he'd found out her secret, it had be him, the one person her friends dispised so much knew her secret.

"Well his dad does work for the Department of Mysteries." she thought "Maybe he's good at keeping secrets."

Luna knew this made no sense in her head, but she had hope that Draco would do the right thing and keep it to himself.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Chapter 4 is finally here, sorry it's been so long, my exams have been taking the front seat at the moment, however I've got a few free days so I will use them to write and bring an eventual end to this fic, thank you for still being here and being patient with my erratic updating but here is the next chapter, please enjoy and as usual rate and review! x

Christmas finally came around, Luna would be spending it at school this year, she couldn't stay with Dad, she couldn't put him through it.

Luna had never stayed at Hogwarts over Christmas, as far as she was concerned it was cold and lonely. Perfect. She was the only one in her part of the dorm, she remained in bed for three days straight before she emerged. Even though she had been in bed Luna felt as if she had not slept a wink, the purple under her hollwing eyes stood out, they looked like bruises in comparison to Luna's fair complexion.

It was 11ish in the morning when Luna stirred. She put on an oversized jumper (slightly more oversized than it used to be) and some ¾ trousers, her shoes were still missing though. The icy flagstone tickled her feet as she walked towards the Great Hall. During the holiday breakfast was served later, giving the students the oppurtunity for a lie in. Luna helped herself to a mug of tea. She let the steamy air spiral up towards her face, warming her on this frosty December morning.

She glanced across the hall, catching sight of the white blonde boy sat alone, fixated on the morning paper although not really reading it, just staring blankly at the page. Luna, in turn, stared at him. She kept staring, perhaps for a little too long as Draco looked up and met her gaze. They stared into each others eyes across for the hall for what seemed like an eternity.

Luna finished her tea, got up, and left.


	5. Chapter 5

Luna walked down the corridors taking every turn she could as if she was running away, her walking was fast and she almost falling over, unable to walk in a straight line. She stumbled down the corridor, her vision fading and blurring until eventually she hit the cold flagstone with a hard smack.

When she came to Luna was extremely disorientated, her head was spinning and she was unsure what part of the castle she was in. Her breathing shallowed and took short, sharp breaths. Her chest tightened and she let out a cry. Then she felt a hand on her shoulder, long icy white fingers curled around arm. Her heart began to race and she continued to pant, it was becominge exceedingly hard to get a decent lungful of air.

"Shhh." a worried voice rang out.

"Luna please, calm down."

Luna was unsure if she was hallucinating the voice or not which discomforted her greatly, tears poured down her face and she began to shake.

"A-are you okay?" the voice sounded. "Can you hear me?"

Luna did not reply. She choked on her tears and began to hyperventilate until she was almost blue.

The voice then gripped her and shook her slightly to make sure she had not drifted back out of conciousness, a minute passed before the colour returned to her pale face. Her eyes were glazed as she opened them widely, as if she were an animal scanning their surroundings for predators.

"Are you okay?" the voice sounded again, this time sounding slightly more together.

"Draco?" her voice cracked, her throat dry.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm... I'm fine." Luna made no attempt at a convincing lie as she was obviously not fine. "Where am I?"

"5th floor corridor, in a corner of the castle no one really comes to."

"Why did you help me?"

"Why all the questions?" the boy smirked. "But if I hadn't helped where would you be? Left in the freezing corridor to catch your death?"

"Why do you care?" Luna was beginning to gain back her senses, the room had stopped spinning and her throat was no longer dry.

"Because... because I like you Luna. I don't like seeing you destroy yourself."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Luna was shocked at his confession, but she was rapidly turning hostile, she couldn't risk anyone else finding out.

"Luna, I know I'm not a Ravenclaw but I'm also not an idiot. I've seen your arms, I've seen your legs, I've seen you. I've seen the way you avoid human contact and avoid food. I've seen you going to the toilet straight after dinner and I've seen you leave 20 minutes later with tear stained cheeks. Luna, I'm not an idiot, and neither are you. I'm not going to ask you to stop, I'm just going to ask you why."

Luna looked at Draco for a minute, the quickly setting winter sun shone through the old windows, illuminating the dust in the air and landing on Draco's face. He looked vulnerable in the sun.

"I don't feel comfortable talking about that with you Draco, I'm sorry."

"Then we don't have to talk."

He looked at Luna for a long time, her skin as white as the moon she is named for, her legs and arms stick thin, her eyes sunken in to her skull as if she had seen it all. She sat in the shadow of the wall, a visual representation of the darkness she felt. She was small and weak. She looked vulnerable in the dark.

He looked at Luna for a long time, he lent in a planted a small kiss on her cracked lips, they tasted stale. Like kissing the pages of a book. He pulled away quickly. Before looking at her again.

A smile crept over both of their faces.

"Can I continue?"

Luna looked up at him. No one had asked to kiss her before. Her first kiss was stolen off of her by a child she used to go to school with, she forgets his name. Her second was with a 6th year Ravenclaw last year after they had won a Quidditch match, he cornered her and forced himself on her, then made her swear not to tell a soul.

She leaned in, eyes closed.

They sat in isolated corner of the castle and kissed for a long time, they collided like two seperate galaxies smashing together, like a wave crashing on to shore. Draco kissed firmly and passionately and Luna held on to him as if he were the last thing she had left in the world. Draco wrapped his arms around her and cradled, in an attempt to keep her warm. Their fingers entwined and snow fell on snow as they stroked each others palms.

Draco gentley traced his fingers along her scars. There were so many. Draco wondered how someone could possibly do such a thing to themselves, she flinched at first as he ran his fingers over the angry red marks. In return Luna traced her fingers along his, he had lots of a little scars, a quidditch injury here, a scratching from a hippogriff there. But one stood out amongst them, raised and purple. It was like a foot print in otherwise virgin snow. Luna looked up as if she was asking him about it, but he just shook his head. They sat in the corner and talked about everything for hours and hours until Luna fell asleep in his lap. He sat in the corner and stroked her hair as she flinched and jerked in her sleep. He sat in the corner and comforted her as she woke up breathless from empty screams, trying to escape a nightmare.

He waited until the early hours of the morning until he carried her back to her dorm room. The corridors were empty. He reached the Ravenclaw door and answered the riddle. The common room was deserted. He carried her up the stairs to her bed, he found it straight away. Not by the dreamcatchers surrounding it but by the mess around it. He lay her on the bed and tucked her in, planted a kiss on her forehead, then left.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Last chapter guys! sorry ive been so crap at updating this but I sort of lost passion for it, I'm going to be moving accounts just because i fancy it, feel free to follow me at my new account princessprongs ! I hope you enjoy this last chapter and I feel that the actions in the chapter are important and also very Luna!

Luna awoke in her bed, her head pounding with little recollection of the day before, she felt weak, and hungry, ever so hungry. She knew she would have to eat today, and that thought sickened her. She got up slowly, masses of blonde waves fell around her as she moved delicately across the room. Luna realized she was still in the clothes she wore yesterday and quickly changed into a long sleeved dress and woolen tights. She made her way down to breakfast without shoes.

The Great Hall was pretty empty, Luna searched for Draco amongst the pockets of people but failed to find him. She sat and worked her way through eggs on toast, two mugs of tea and a bowl of fruit much quicker than she had planned. She felt full for the first time in months, this was both satisfying and sickening. After Luna had finished her breakfast she went for a walk around the castle in an attempt to burn off some of the calories consumed at breakfast.

An hour had passed and Luna had found herself in a distant corner of the castle, she took a seat on a windowsill and watched the snow until she fell asleep. When she awoke a short while later there was someone sat opposite her. She wiped the tired away from her eyes and found Draco smiling at her.

"How long have you been there?" she said as she continued to rub her puffy eyes.

"Long enough to know that you talk about me in your sleep."

Luna blushed hard and buried her face in her hands, wish that the window would open so she could jump out.

They sat in silence for a while, just looking out of the window. Luna slotted herself inbetween Draco's legs and leaned her head on his chest. Draco swirled his fingers through her hair. They laughed at size difference between their hands, argued who was paler and laughing over the length difference of their legs. Draco stroked Luna's neck subconciously and Luna purred in response, the first time in a while where she had smiled and genuninely meant it. Draco then put his thumb on her chin and pulled her in close for a kiss, this was different to the last. It tasted inviting. Luna pawed at his chest and rubbed her hands along his shoulders feeling his firm muscles and were now tensed as he moved his hands up under her jumper to cup her breasts. He kissed her firmly and moved kisses down her neck and sucked on her milky white skin, leaving small red and purple marks along her neck to her shoulder. He began to move his hands down and caressed her thighs, pulling down her tights inch by inch.

"No Draco." Luna said anxiously.

"What?" Draco looked confused, he had thought she was okay with this.

"I just want to kiss you." she beamed at him. Draco smiled back.

They sat at the windowsill and kissed until their mouths were dry and their jaws were tired and they rested their in each others arms.

"Thank you." Luna spoke softly.

"For what?"

"For not telling."

Draco took her words into deep consideration before responding.

"I would never tell a soul." He leaned in a pecked her on the forehead.

They then made their way down to the Great Hall hand in hand.


End file.
